Device for dispensing strip material from a stock reel



- Oct. 20, 1970 w, CLARK 3,534,918

DEVICE FOR DISPENSING STRIP MATERIAL FROM A STOCK REEL Filed April 50. 1968 United States Patent 3,534,918 DEVICE FOR DISPENSING STRIP MATERIAL FROM A STOCK REEL Richard Walter Clark, West Drayton, Middlesex, England, assignor to George F. Clark & Sons (Toolmakers) Ltd., a British company Filed Apr. 30, 1968, Ser. No. 725,290 Claims priority, application Great Britain, May 8, 1967, 21,2 9/67 Int. Cl. B65h 75/02 US. Cl. 242-55 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention provides a device for dispensing strip material from a stock reel, the device comprising at least two rollers over which the strip is drawn by the intermittent movement of a strip feeder to a machine tool, the rollers being urged apart by spring means so that when the strip is being drawn over the rollers it is tensioned by the spring means so that the intermittent movement is converted into a steady pull during the dispensation of the strip.

This invention relates to a device for dispensing strip material, more particularly strip aluminium, copper or other soft metal, from a horizontally disposed stock reel. The strip, in the form of a coil, is supported by the stock reel which is revolved by the withdrawal of the strip from the coil. The usual feed mechanism of the machine tool to which the strip is fed, snatches the strip from the coil consequently the feeding operation is intermittent while the reel continues to revolve. During the short pauses in the feed, the strip, if resilient, will curl up and no interference will be caused to the feed. If, however, the strip is relatively thin and has little or no resiliency, as in the instance of aluminium strip, it will tend to curl around the usual feeding and guiding means and in all probability will be distorted.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for dispensing strip material, more especially strip aluminium, copper or other soft metal from a stock reel, the device assuring that the strip remains taut irrespective of its thickness or lack of resiliency.

According to this invention a device for dispensing strip material which device is operated by the intermittent energy of a strip feeder to a machine tool, and which device converts said energy into a steady pull on the strip while it is being dispensed.

More particularly, the invention comprises a device for dispensing strip material from a coil carried by a stock reel comprises at least two rollers over which the strip is drawn by the intermittent movement of a strip feeder to a machine tool, and means for loading the rollers away from each other, so that the strip while being drawn over the rollers urges them towards each other against the said loading, thereby tensioning the strip so that the said intermittent movement is converted into a steady pull on the strip during dispensing of the strip.

The invention also includes means whereby the rollers may be adjusted in two planes at right angles to each other.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood it will now be described more fully, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device in accordance with the invention, fitted to a stock reel;

FIG. 2 is an axial section of the cylindrical member housing the springs; and

FIG. 3 is a detail perspective view showing the swivel connections of the rollers to their respective levers.

Strip metal indicated at A in the form of a coil for dispensing to a machine tool, for example a punch press, is carried by a stock reel B which may be of a known type, but it is preferred that the stock reel should be adapted to receive the forks of a fork-lift truck which stock reel will be later described.

Centrally of the stock reel is a vertical support, preferably comprising two spaced and parallel channel section members 1 and 2 which at their lower ends are secured to a keyed spindle which easily plugs into or out of the stationary base bearing assembly 3. Fixed to the tops of the members is a transverse member 4 to which is pivotally secured, as by a bolt 5, a lug 6 provided at one end of an elongated plate 7. Slidably secured to the plate, as by screws through elongated slots, not shown, is a U- shape member 8 which mounts a flanged roller 9 which is preferably hollow. The roller is rotatable on an axial spindle 10 mounted in anti-friction bearings within the roller. The ends of the spindle are screw threaded and are received in slots 11 in the arms of the U-shape member where they are secured by nuts 12. Since the roller is secured to the central support by the single bolt 5, this can be slackened to permit angular adjustment of the roller 9 with respect to the plane of the stock reel.

Intermediate the ends of the central support are two transverse plates 13 and 14 which are clamped to the support by a screw, not shown, which permits vertical adjustment of the plates. The plate 14 has an end lug 15 to which is secured, as by a screw 16, an L-shape bracket 17. Attached to the bracket by means of a screw 18 is a bifurcated member 19, the screw enabling rotational adjustment of the member. Fitting in the bifurcation and pivotally connected to the member by a screw 20 is a short arm 21 which can be angularly adjusted and clamped in an adjusted position by the screw 20. Rigidly fixed to the arm 21 at right angles thereto is a cylindrical member 22.

Spaced from the member 22 and parallel thereto is an elongated plate 23 which is rigidly connected to the member 22 by an arm 24 fixed to the member and to the plate. In the plate are slots 25 and 26 which slidably receive bolts 27 and 28 respectively which provide pivotal connections for the adjacent ends of two levers 29 and 30 respectively. Thus, the said ends can be adjusted towards or away from each other, the bolts 27 and 28 also enable the degree of friction of the connections to be varied.

The levers 29 and 30 extend through a central slot 31 in the cylindrical member 22 which slot extends between two levers. In the member 20 is a compression spring 32 which loads the levers away from each other. Acting in opposition to the spring 32 are biassing springs 33 and 34, the latter being housed in a short tubular member 35 screw threaded into the lower end of the cylindrical member 22. The lower end of the member 35 is closed and in the closed end is an adjusting screw 36 which bears against a disc 37 contacting the biassing spring 34 and in the top of the cylindrical member 22 is a similar adjusting screw 36A which contact a disc 37A. By adjusting the screws 36 and 36A, the amount of compression exerted by the springs can be adjusted to balance the weight of rollers at the other ends of the levers which rollers will later be described. The end of each lever 29 and 30 remote from its pivotal connection to the elongated plate 23 is twisted so as to provide a small flat portion 38 normal to the face of the lever. The portion fits into a bifurcated member 39 having a swivel connection to a U-shape member 40 which is similar to the U-shape member 8 previously described and which anism has a snatch action and during the feed strokes the tension on the strip causes the rollers carried by the levers to move towards each other against the action of their spring loading. Consequently, during the return strokes of the mechanism the energy stored in the springs will urge the rollers apart thus maintaining tension on the strip and preventing it from curling up and distorting. At the same time a steady and continuous pull is exerted on the stock reel. In order to prevent the stock reel from over-running any convenient brake means the friction of which can be adjusted, is provided.

The device according to the invention may be fitted to any conventional horizontal stock reel, but since it has now become the practice for suppliers to deliver coils of strip of greater diameter than in the past, the increased size and weight of the coils make the man-handling of the coils onto a stock reel diflicult. It is therefore preferred that the device should be used with a stock reel as shown in FIG. 1. The reel has channels 42 and 43 parallel to the diameter of the reel which channels receive the forks of a fork-lift truck. Thus, a heavy coil of strip can be transported on the forks and loaded onto the reel centrally thereof. The truck can then be moved clear of the reel and its forks withdrawn from the channels.

It is to be understood that the device is not limited to the dispensing of thin and non-resilient strip material, but may be used to an advantage for dispensing springy metal strip of any desired thickness.

I claim:

1. A device for dispensing strip material from a coil carried by a stock reel comprising at least two rollers over which the strip is drawn by the intermittent movement of a strip feeder to a machine tool, and means for loading the rollers away from each other so that the strip while being drawn over the rollers urges them towards each other against the said loading thereby tensioning the strip so that the said intermittent movement is converted into a steady pull on the strip during dispensing of the strip.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rollers are urged apart by spring means.

3. A device for dispensing strip material from a coil carried by a stock reel comprising at least two rollers over which the strip is drawn by the intermittent movement of a strip feeder to a machine tool, spring means for loading the rollers away from each other so that the strip, while being drawn over the rollers, urges them towards each other against the spring means thereby tensioning the strip so that the said intermittent movement is converted into a steady pull on the strip during its dispensing, and adjustable biassi-ng springs for varying the load exerted by the spring means urging the rollers apart.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3, wherein two rollers are each carried by a pivoted lever which extends through a slot in a cylindrical member which houses the aforesaid springs so that the loads, provided by the springs, are applied to the levers.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the cylindrical member is angularly adjustable in a vertical plane.

6. A device for dispensing strip material from a coil carried by a stock reel comprising three rollers over which the strip is drawn by the intermittent movement of a strip feeder to a machine tool, two of the rollers being each adjustably mounted at one end of a pivotal lever which extends through a slot in a cylindrical member angularly adjustable in a vertical plane, a spring in the cylindrical member for loading the levers apart and adjustable biassing springs for opposing the load applied by the spring urging them apart whereby the load can be adjusted, the arrangement being such that when the strip is drawn over the said two rollers by the intermittent movement the movement is converted into a steady pull on the strip.

7. A device as set forth in claim 1 in combination with a stock reel having channels to receive the forks of a forklift truck.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ALLEN N. KNOWLES, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 226 

